A Night Alone
by LoveHateTragedyMore
Summary: As Charlie spends a night alone, he's taken hostage by a drunk mad old man. Don works round the clock looking for someone named Terry so that he could get his brother back in one piece. Reviews please!
1. A Night Alone

Numb3rs

_LoveHateTragedyMore_

**Summary: **After his younger brother Charlie is taken hostage by a strange old drunk man, Don works round the clock to find someone named Terry who can help get his brother back in one piece.

**Disclaimers: **I do not own numb3rs.

**AN: **I know, I know. I'm still working on the other one, but right now I'm at a writer's block. This one is just something to work on in between the other one. I hope that everyone likes this one though...please leave reviews. Thanks!

**A Night Alone**

It was quiet. It was also nighttime, though it was not yet as dark as it could get-especially with all the lamps on and the lights in the rooms on. Charlie felt as though the full moon outside barely had any significance whatsoever, even though it seemed to shine outside on the yard and everything else, making the shadows disappear.

He had the house to himself. Don was working late with his team on a case, and his dad was out of town, but bound to come home soon tonight. Everybody else was working, or going to bed. Larry had called and said that he was staying at the campus working on something with Amita's help.

He had decided to watch TV, and was just sitting down and getting ready to watch, when the door opened. He had left it unlocked for his father, should he get home before he went to bed.

"Dad?" Charlie called. "I'm in the living room." There was a few seconds of silence, where he realized that he hadn't even heard the car pulling up. There was only the sound of the door opening, and then Charlie felt a bit of confusion when he heard an old man bellow-

"TERRY!" Charlie shot up quicker than he thought possible, and began to head towards the kitchen, but the old man bet him into the room before he could escape. "WHERE'S MY TERRY!"

"I don't know." Charlie answered, trying to keep calm. With a start, he realized that the old man must be drunk. Great. Just what he needed. And then that was when he saw it-the gun. A .22 caliber pistol was firmly in the old man's grip, and it didn't seem to be leaving him anytime soon. The old man also had a brown paper bag that looked like it was holding an open container of something in it-beer? Charlie's heart pounded as he watched the old man come slowly towards him.

"YOU! You look like that Jacob!" The old man yelled. Charlie heard the tone of anger and bitterness in the man's voice, and backed up a step further, trying to put distance between him and the old man, as well as trying to escape towards the kitchen.

"Sir, I'm not-my name's Dr. Charlie Epps. I work at a college. I think you got the wrong house." Charlie tried to explain, as the old man continuously walked towards him, waving the gun around, pointing it towards him. The old man looked around, and seemed to realize where he was for the first time.

"Huh. Must be drunker than I thought." He snorted. "Shit." Then, his eyes narrowed. "You still look like 'em though."

"I swear to you that I am not Jacob." Charlie said nervously. He wondered who Jacob was, and if he really did look like him-or the old man was just plain drunk. "What's your name?"

"Nathan." The old man answered, still glaring at him. "Sit. Have a drink with me."

"Uh...actually, I was wanting to call my-"

"Cops?" Nathan demanded, now pointing the gun directly at him.

"No." Charlie felt a twinge of guilt as he lied. "My brother."

"Oh. Still out then. You're the only one here?" Nathan asked, curiousity in his eyes. He lowered the gun back down to the floor, but it was still somewhat lifted, and gripped tightly.

"For now." Charlie muttered as he headed towards the kitchen. He had a really bad feeling that the longer the old man stayed, the more trouble there was going to be. He went into the kitchen, still facing the old man as he didn't want to be shot in the back in case he changed his mind, and managed to make it into the kitchen without any incident.

Hurrying to the phone, he snatched it off it's hook, and quickly dialed Don's number. His cell phone was exactly where he'd left it in case someone called-in the living room. The phone rang once before it picked up.

"Charlie, I'm-" Charlie quickly cut through Don's exasperated voice.

_"Don. I need some help." _He hisssed the words into the phone, hoping that the old man wouldn't come in and start yelling.

"Charlie? What is it? What's wrong?" Don demanded as he heard the note of anxiety in his younger brother's voice.

_"There's an old man-" _Charlie was abruptly cut off by the old man yelling in the living room again.

"TERRY! Get out of here!" Nathan shouted loudly. "I've got someone here who I might kill if you don't come out of your hiding spot.

"Charlie? Who was that?" Don demanded. Charlie could only manage a breathe of air, before the kitchen door swung open, and Nathan came storming in, waving the gun in the air.

"You're talking to the cops, ain't you boy? I know you are, don't deny it." Nathan snarled. He took a swig of the item in the brown bag. Charlie caught the sent and grimaced. Whiskey.

"No. I'm talking to my brother." He lied.

"Hah!" Nathan snorted. "Your brother could be a cop!" He narrowed his eyes at Charlie, and seemed to think of something. "Give me that." He ordered, geustering at the phone.

"What? No-" Charlie yelped as the gun smacked into his head, and he was thrust aside into the counter.

"Now listen-bring me Terry, my daughter, and I might not hurt your brother. After all, I could mistake him for Jacob, and shoot him anyway like I have planned ahead of time." There was a brief silence.

"Good." Nathan said in a satisfied tone. "We'll wait here, have a few drinks, while you bring me my daughter. You have three hours. What, three aren't enough? Well, they should be. Work with three, and you'll have your brother back so long as you can get me my daughter back. And he'll be unarmed...well, exept for the bruise I just delt him. No worries...just a brief hit on the head for not doing as I asked." Nathan's eyes narrowed, and then he swiftly hung up the phone. Charlie was heading towards the other door that led towards the backyard, stopping only when Nathan turned and held the gun on him.

"Don't go anywhere...Mr. Epps." He ordered. "You and I are going to have a few drinks, and you're going to look pretty for your brother so that when he arrives he can see that I held true to my promise." Charlie swallowed, and said,

"I don't drink whiskey."

"Young man like you, you should drink every now and then. A few drinks aren't going to kill you. This gun here might, if you disobey me however." Nathan said menacingly. Charlie hesitated, and started to walk towards the living room. "Excellent." And with a small smile, Nathan continued to urge Charlie forward with the gun into the living room. And all Charlie could think was...please hurry, Don. Please.


	2. Never Try To Fool A Drunk

**Numb3rs**

_A Night Alone_

LoveHateTragedyMore

AN: Here's an update. Not really much more to say, except that it may be awhile before the next one. Hench why I'm updating now. Oh, and thanks to my reviewers! :D

**Chapter Two:**

Charlie sat on the edge of his seat, feeling that perhaps he should've just stayed with Larry and work instead of heading home. But it had been awhile, and now he was home-at the mercy of a drunk old man who was ranting and raving about everything that his daughter had supposedly done. Charlie wondered if any of it was even true, but didn't really think about it. He was busy trying to keep the old man from forcing too many drinks on him-as he'd already had three strong drinks of whiskey, and now was finding it dificult to concentrate.

"Here." The old man said suddenly. "Why ain't anyone else with you?"

"Uh..." Charlie was confused, and-he realized-just starting to feel the effects of being drunk. Swallowing, he continued. "My brother's at work, and dad's...out. Don't know where exactly."

"Not a big family then?" He snorted. "Figures...you're more like Jason than I thought...he only had a small family too, just his mom and him. Where's your mother?"

"Dead." Charlie said, trying not to listen to what the old man was saying by concentrating on listening for a car or something pulling up. He didn't want his father walking into here, especially with him a little drunk.

"Sorry." The old man actually sounded sympathetic. Charlie was surprised, but refused to show it. He was silent for a few moments for the first time, and Charlie was grateful. Silence was better than the endless rambling of an insane old man, and it helped him to think better.

"Want more?" The old man asked. Charlie hesitantly shook his head, in case the old man honestly meant the question and wasn't going to demand him to drink anyway. "Fine." He grumbled. He took another swig, and added, "A few drinks won't kill you, as I said, but they'll sure as hell give you a headache in the morning."

"Wonderful." Charlie muttered. As if he didn't already have one. Shifting slightly in his seat, he was surprised when Nathan spoke suddenly from the silence.

"What good is that brother of yours, anyway, if he hasn't already come busting through the door?" Charlie tensed at the question. He wasn't exactly expecting his brother to just pop in out of nowhere...he expected his brother to come up with a plan, one that wouldn't get him killed. That was how his brother worked, but the old man...Nathan, didn't seem to see that. He simply assumed that Don was leaving his brother to his fate while he worked on other things.

"He'll come. He's just...working on a plan." Nathan snorted, and Charlie suddenly had an idea. If he could get Nathan to drink more, enough to knock him out, then maybe he can escape.

"More like he's working. Do you have any rope anywhere?" He demanded. Charlie's heart sank.

"Yea. Maybe. Why?" He wasn't honestly sure if they had rope in the first place. Dad usually left some in the garage...but they could be out.

"If I fall asleep I don't want you escaping." Nathan explained. Charlie sighed. Nathan noticed, and his eyes narrowed.

"I see. So that's how it was going to be was it? You would've waited till I was asleep, adn then you would've gone outside and after locking all the doors and windows to keep me 'safe' in here?" Nathan stood, and waved the gun at him a bit, making Charlie even more uneasy. "Get up." The menace in his voice was easy to locate, and Charlie hurridly got up from the chair. He stepped backwards a bit, but Nathan reached out a drunk, shaking hand, and grasped his hair painfully. Charlie bit back a cry, and was dragged towards the center of the living room.

"Alright. Where's the rope?"

"I-" He coughed as the sudden strong smell of whiskey hit him. "I'm not sure we have some."

"Why?" Nathan demaned. "What-never mind." He seemed to be changing track on something, and having decided on it, he ordered in a rasping voice,

"Turn around." Charlie felt more than a little bit alarmed, and painfully said,

"No..."

"Fine." Nathan let go of his hair, and grasped his shoulders and thrust him to the other wall, where the garage door was now facing him. Charlie felt something crash into the back of his skull, and he fell to the floor. His vision blurred, he felt the same thing crash into his skull again, and he blissfully accepted the darkness as it crashed down around him, blocking the sight of Nathan's feet stepping over him.

**End Chapter Two**


	3. Ups And Downs

**A Night Alone**

_LoveHateTragedyMore_

**AN:** Okay, here's chapter three…sorry it took so long, but as I've got no internet-still…I finally managed to get back to a Wi-Fi hotspot, and use that place to upload a chapter. Oh, and good news-in a week or so, I may be going to my grandparents house-and they have endless internet there, so that means more chapters sooner! (I've already got a couple other chapters done, after this chapter, but I'm not going to upload them just yet…sorry.) Thanks, again, to those who've reviewed, and to those that stuck around. I know it's frustrating, waiting for the next chapter, but I promise that someday (hopefully soon) this story will be complete, finished, etc…

**Chapter Three**: Ups and Downs

Charlie wasn't sure if he was up or down.

The effects of drinking had left him somewhat confused, even though he'd only had about three small glasses of Whiskey. But then, he'd never drunken anything before…only a bit of champagne when he and his friends and family celebrated the New Year-but nothing ever this strong. He was also aware that his vision was slightly blurry. Frowning, he tried to move, but found that there was no possibility of doing that either. Nathan may have been drunk, but he could still tie knots…very effectively too. Inwardly sighing, he tried to figure out where Nathan was-and saw him sitting on the chair, not exactly out cold-but not really 'with it' either, as his students sometimes described him when he was exhausted from work, or one of Don's cases.

__

Don.

How much time had gone by? Had he called? What if the three hours were up? These thoughts went frantically through his mind, making him feel out of sorts. His stomach heaved, and he felt like gagging-because the smell of the Whiskey was suddenly strong…much stronger than before. His head felt like a rock was striking it every time he tried to move. He attempted to take a deep breath-but the air too, smelled like Whiskey. He tried not to retch at the smell, but found that if he didn't breath at all it helped…some.

Taking a quick breath, he tried to think of all the possible scenarios that would more than likely happen. Don would arrive, bringing with him help-and maybe this Terry person. He would go inside, tell Nathan that Terry was waiting outside, and try to lure him out. If that worked, then Charlie was home free. The other scenario was that Don wouldn't arrive in time, but still have Terry and try to bring the old man to his senses by asking what he really wanted. The old man would respond, probably, telling him what it was that he most wanted-which is probably whoever the guy that looked like Charlie dead. Don would promise to try and help, and lure the guy outside again. Or the third possible scenario…Don doesn't do anything, arrives far too late, and the old man proves that he can keep his word. Charlie felt a wave of cold fear at the thought, wondering what the old man would do to him…

He pushed those thoughts away, refusing to let himself think of it until it happened…if it happened. He wondered what Don was doing at the moment, if he was working in the office, or on the road trying to get to Terry…maybe with Megan or one of the guys with him. It was every possibility that Don would find this Terry person in time, but then the odds were always stacked against him. The phrase of what he'd just thought made him smile a little, thinking of how he and Amita had talked of Romeo and Juliet the day before, for she'd read Twilight and was telling him about the way the story was really written…they'd discussed the book along with the mathematics of how it would or could turn out. And both of them had had different ideas from the beginning…

"Terry…don't…" The old man was talking in his sleep! As if things couldn't get even more annoying. He liked it better when he was quiet, for then he could actually think. Not that he was rambling endlessly like before, but still…quiet was always better.

"Don't leave…" The old man pleaded in his sleep, and Charlie was suddenly overcome with a feeling of pity, despite the situation he was in. The old man only wanted to see his daughter again! It made him think of his own father, who was always cheerful when he or Don were around…especially with their friends. Maybe Dad was always unhappy without them at home? Charlie's heart raced at these thoughts, feeling an astonishing mixed feelings for the old man. Though he was tied up (with duck tape, no less) he still felt as though the old man deserved what he was asking for…

He wondered how old this Terry was when she'd left. A teenager? Younger, maybe? Charlie wondered at how much this old man must've felt when he hadn't come home…maybe he'd just panicked, and he'd wanted simply to have some company…while trying so desperately to find his own daughter before he kicked the bucket…

"Terry…stay here…I don't care about Jacob…" He muttered. He twitched in his sleep, and both of them were suddenly a whole lot more alert when the phone rang. He jerked up in the chair, feeling a mixture of shock and depression, and Charlie's feelings intensified. He couldn't say exactly why he felt the way he did…except that the old man somehow reminded him of his own father. He swore to himself that he would spend more time at home after this was over…

"What-" The old man muttered to himself, and then realized what had happened. He swore to himself, though it was quiet enough that Charlie couldn't tell exactly what it was he'd said. Stumbling beyond the living room and into the kitchen, Charlie waited for him to speak on the phone.

"Oh." The old man paused. "Yea, he's still here-but a bit tied up, at the moment. Did you find her? Did you find my Terry?" The last words came out sounding a bit desperate, and Charlie felt the sympathy kick in again. What was weird about it was that he could also hear Don in his head, sounding frustrated and annoyed-_"Get a grip, Charlie! He took you hostage, and threatened me that if I don't find his "Terry" in three hours, then you'd be dead! Why are you wasting you're time sympathizing with an drunk old man whose clearly INSANE?" _

Charlie felt a flicker of a grin emit behind the duck tape on his mouth before it disappeared. No, there wasn't much that was funny at the moment…but it was almost as though Don had been standing right there in the living room, yelling at him about it. He considered telling Don all this should he see him again, but then decided against it. Better just keep it to himself…

Nathan was coming back in the living room! He'd missed the entire conversation! Stupid, brilliant math professor! He continued cursing to himself, not even noticing Nathan stomping towards him until he was right in front of him. Charlie looked up, realizing that Nathan was going to do something, and tried to think of what that something could possibly be.

Nathan hesitated, and then spoke in an uncertain tone.

"You're brother's comin'." His words were barely slurred, and he seemed a bit more tired than usual…probably the drinking, Charlie thought to himself. "He said he's got her…and that insufferable Jacob too." He added with a growl. "Said that he'd trade both of them for you, and that he was coming in with a friend of his-as witness. Seemed okay to me. I want to know the truth…is he setting me up? Is he lying? I'm going to take off the duck tape, and I want a straight answer…no lying to me." Nathan added with a grim look. Charlie hesitated, then nodded. He knew that there wasn't anything that he could really do, so he just had to act as convincingly as he could…

The duck tape was pealed back away from his face, and he could feel the fresh air running into his mouth. It felt rather pleasant actually, instead of smelling the alcohol that seemed to always be there in the air. He tried to concentrate on what was happening then, and answer him without trying to make it seem as though he were telling the truth.

"I don't think so." He said slowly, trying to impact those words into Nathan's mind so that he'll believe him.

"What do you mean, you don't think so?" Nathan demanded, angry. "Tell the truth!"

"I am." Charlie protested. "I don't know what he's doing, so I can't really say." Nathan snorted.

"You're hopeless." He growled, annoyed. He paused. "If he's lying, and he comes here with a bunch of his kind, then I'll tell you what I'll do…" Taking a swig of his drink, his words were slurred when he spoke again, but Charlie could not mistake what he said when he spoke. "I'll kill you…and then, if it's possible, I'll kill you're brother too. So ye best pray, boy, that ye're brother's getting things right…else he'll find ye're body a'layin on the floor."

End Chapter Three


	4. Out Of Control

**A Night Alone**

_LoveHateTragedyMore_

AN: Here's chapter four...I'm almost done with the story! This chapter's just a tad shorter than the other ones, but it's Don's POV!! Hope everyone enjoys this one just as much as the others...of course, comments are appreciated, as well as concerns. Don't worry, folks. This story will get done eventually...all I really have to do is update now-it's pretty much all written down on paper as well as the computer. The other story I'm still pretty much stuck on. (sigh) I'm not sure if I'll ever get done with that one, but I'll certainly try. Anyways...chapter four.

Chapter Four: _Out Of Control _

It was, by now, almost to late to do anything else.

But Don wasn't giving up, even though the clock gave him plenty of evidence too. He realized that most people would have gotten fed up by this point, and walked away leaving whoever was in the hands of the lunatic for themselves to deal with it…but he was a cop, and he damned well wasn't going to give up on his own brother. There was too much at stake…for both of them.

Once Charlie had called, things had moved fast. He'd managed to break through some of the case, by discovering who was holding his younger brother hostage and looking for him on the computer. He'd found some intel on the old guy, and wasn't liking what he was looking at-he'd done some time in jail, for killing some people, robbing, and was even accused of burglary.

Then, after looking up some intel on the old guy holding Charlie hostage, he'd started a frantic search for this Terry…and soon discovered that she was actually the old man's daughter. He'd ordered Megan to go after her, because the rest of his team didn't want him to go alone…and they'd also rathered he'd stay in case the old man had called again. Which, for the first time that night-other than when Charlie had called-he had. He'd demanded that they speed up the case, bring her NOW. Don had pleaded with him a bit, but then-his temper getting the better of him like he usually did-resorted to threats…of a sort. After threatening him that if he hurt Charlie, before bringing Terry at the exact time that he'd offered, he'd kill him himself. That was when the old man, either getting angry at him-or offended that he'd back out on his own word-hung up, making it increasingly difficult for him as well as his friends…because they had also wanted to talk to Charlie, in case something had happened to him…and now they couldn't.

Feeling frustrated and useless, he had been forced to resort to pacing-because sitting still was really worse than moving around…though it was a close tie, in his mind. He wasn't allowed to go with the team to collect Terry, nor was he allowed to bring his father there…because, of course, he didn't want him to worry worse than he was already-he'd asked Amita and Larry to keep an eye on him, and in the meantime he would work as hard as he could to get his brother back safely…even if it meant loosing the house in the process. Though he'd only been joking at the time, he couldn't help going over the possibility of that happening…and Charlie being in the midst of it all, not being able to get himself free, because he was tied up.

Because an old guy was willing to kill someone else's son in order to get his own daughter back.

Don wasn't sure what he was feeling when he'd felt that, except that by that time he was numb…because Megan had called and told him that she'd found Terry…in a hospital.

"What do you mean she's in a hospital?" Don demanded in the cell phone, ignoring David's look of concern. Colby was with Megan, and the two of them were taking turns talking to him.

"Well, she was in an accident… her partner, Jacob, didn't make it." Megan explained.

"You might call the guy, and tell him that-" Colby added. Don stared at nothing in particular, feeling his heart race. What was going to happen? How were they going to get Charlie out of this mess now? Feeling a bit of confusion mixed in with desperation, he decided that he would call the guy…and tell him. After hanging up on Megan and Colby, but not after thanking them both for their help at this time of night, he'd dialed his home phone number, waiting for it to ring.

"Come on…" He muttered to himself, aware of David watching him intently by now. The phone picked up, and a the man's-Nathan, he reminded himself-voice answered.

"Hello?" His voice was slightly slurred, but not bad enough that Don couldn't understand what he was saying.

"I found your daughter." He said calmly. "She's in the hospital." There was an instant of silence, and Don wondered for a moment if he was still there.

"Which one?" Nathan growled. Don hesitated, before saying reluctantly,

"St. Bethel's, near Hollywood Street." Then, having his worst fears confirmed, he heard Nathan say in a menacing tone.

"I'm coming over there."

"No, wait-" But Don wasn't quick enough. The tone of the dial sounded throughout his ear, and he hung up-feeling stupid. What was with him? Why had he not insisted on going over there, and at least getting Charlie? What was going to happen now? Well, for one-Nathan was going to the hospital. And that was when the idea struck him like a hammer driving into a nail.

"David, get Megan and Colby on the line. You and I are going to the hospital to meet them, and we're going to block Nathan there…using his daughter as bait." Don ordered swiftly. David looked slightly startled, but nonetheless complied, as the two began to get ready to leave for it. Don ordered a SWAT team on his own cell phone, feeling that it wouldn't be entirely out of place for them to use on. After all, it was still probably a hostage situation…and a dangerous old man was going into the hospital after his injured daughter…Don felt as though his mind were about to explode, and he would have no way to stop or control it.

The entire situation was out of control…and he had only one chance to make it right.

****

End Chapter Four


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